The Challenges and Trials of Being a HalfHuman
by xoLizerrox
Summary: Akane now knows what it feels like to be half girl.........Akane and Ranma become close when Akane falls into a Jusyenko spring...and learns how to love someone using the traits of her new alter ego.
1. Chapter 1

Ok, this is my first story, so I hope you like it. Just wanna say thanks to my friend who, without her, I would not be writing this right now. Thank you!!!!!

Akane fell. Hard. But when she hit the water, it cushioned her fall like soft, downy fur. She couldn't even feel the water that she was plunging into. She could hear voices above her, shouting her name. Or, rather, one particular voice. But it was not the beholder of the beloved voice who dove in after her. But nothing registered right now.

Akane could feel the tingling sensation, strong and full. And she could see the beginning of a marshmallow tail sprouting. And, as sleep settled in her mind, Akane settled into the Jusyenko Spring of the Rabbit.

Ranma watched, and it seemed as if in slow motion. He watched all throughout the fight, how her hands moved, how they cut across Shampoo's face in such a hostile way. Ranma had never seen her hands be gentle, always rough and harsh. The thought crossed over his mind that if they got out of this alive, then he could find a way to talk to her, to apologize.

And then she was falling. She was falling into the spring and he was shouting her name, and Shampoo was smirking. And as he was about to jump, there were hands, his father's hands, holding him back, not letting him jump in after her to save her. And then it was Ryoga, jumping in, saving her, earning her love. And then it was him, all alone, in the blackness of his mind, wishing and waiting and praying that all this time, his efforts to save her had not been in vain.


	2. Chapter 2

Akane eyes flipped open from the terrible nightmare. She had fallen into a spring somewhere, after fighting Shampoo…Shampoo…and then it all came back to her. Shampoo trying to take Ranma away, far away. In her mind the whole fight flashed before her. She had fought well, maybe her best. All for Ranma. Maybe she did love him after all, even though he was a stupid, clumsy fool. She had tried to save him anyway. Had he tried to save her when she fell in the spring? No…THE SPRING!

Akane fingered her arm, spun around and eyes her backside ferociously, but no soft white fur was to be seen, and no cotton tail sprouted on her nightgown. _Maybe it was just a dream, _she thought anxiously. But there was only one way to find out. Akane reached out to the vase on the table, the one that held the cherry blossoms. She picked up the delicate flowers, her hand shaking as she placed them on her bed. Then, she overturned the vase on top of her dark, short hair.

The cold water rushed over her as before, and she felt the strong pull, seeming to come from inside her and turn her inside out. She saw the white fluff on her arms and, spinning around, the caught a glimpse of her cottony tail.

"Oh no," she whispered, "NO, NO, NO!!!!!" Her voice became a shriek, and was suddenly swallowed up as she shrunk down, her ears growing and her features shrinking.

Suddenly someone was there, lifting her shuddering body into the strong arms, holding her close, and stroking her soft fur. And she never wanted it to let go. And Akane rested at last.

Ranma slammed through the hall, running into the room where the cries where echoing from. _Akane,_ _Akane, Akane!_

There on the floor was a white rabbit, so miniscule, whiskers twitching in fear.

"Oh Akane!" Ranma whispered into her ear as he picked her up, stroking her back. "Not you too!"

Ryoga heard her shrieking from his room. _So she's found out, then_, he mused. Then, heavy footsteps pounded through the corridor, but Ryoga paid them no heed, to engrossed he was in worry.

_What had she turned into?_

_Will I still be able to love her?_

_Will she love me?_


	3. Chapter 3

Ok, I know my last two were short, but this one is gonna be longer!!!! Promise!!!

Akane woke up slowly as the hot water poured over her body. Ranma, although he was not a gentleman, looked away, and she was thankful for that. She picked up her nightgown and slipped it over her head.

"I'm dressed." She sat on her bed as she said it, picking at the bedspread awkwardly.

Ranma turned around. "Are you okay?" He actually seemed genuinely concerned, a first since she had known him.

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks for the hot water." _And thanks for not saving me_, the thought almost made its way out of her mouth, but she managed to keep it in her head.

"Um, no problem." The awkwardness engulfed them like a smothering pillow. "So." Ranma tried to break the awkwardness.

"What?!?!" Akane didn't feel like talking right now. What she really needed was a hug, but now way in hell was she gonna ask Ranma for one.

"I'll just go now…" He looked as if he was pleading for her to do something, to maybe forgive him for making her sacrifice herself for him.

"Look, I don't know what you're thinking, but I didn't fight for you. I fought because Shampoo is so annoying. I don't care if you wanted to go with her. You could go anytime. I just felt like fighting her. I wouldn't give up half of myself for you." Akane's lips trembled as she said it, and her fists clenched and unclenched. _Why do I have to be this way? Why do I always have to ruin it for myself?_

Ranma blinked. Once. Twice. When he finally spoke, his voice was filled with hurt, but his words sounded like the usual Ranma. "Alright, dummy, see what I care. I wasn't gonna save you anyway. I just felt like coming in here and helping you, but ya know, if you don't want any help, I don't have to give it! And…and…you're a better rabbit that a human 'cuz rabbits don't talk, and they don't look so ugly!"

At that last remark Akane couldn't hold back any more. She stretched her fist back and punched him hard in the face, so hard that he fell to the floor, writhing in agony.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you can get out! For once I thought you were going to be nice, and look what you do… I knew it wouldn't last!"

And with that, Akane pushed Ranma into the hall, slamming the door in his swollen face.

Ryoga strolled out of his room to see Ranma slumped against the wall next to Akane's door, with a huge black and blue mark on his upper jawbone.

"Nice going! I don't even have to ask."

"Shut up, piggy boy, you aren't doin' any better"

Ryoga smirked. "Ahh, but I'm about to score major points for me. You see, if you had half a brain, you would try to teach her how to handle being half a human, getting closer to her all the time.

"Hah! Like you even know how to handle being a piggy boy, piggy boy."

"Don't call me that!!!! Anyway, I have flowers and chocolates." Ryoga produced all three out of his knapsack.

"What is that?" Ranma pointed to a bedraggled looking notebook that had fallen out of the bag. " 'The Guide to being half-human'…what the hell is this?

"Hey! Gimme that!!!!!!" Ryoga grabbed at thin air as Ranma swung out of his reach and started reading the first page.

" 'Being a half human is hard, especially when it is raining. Pig-men are the best kinds of half humans, and girly boys are the worst.'…This is crap." Ranma grimaced at Ryoga, who took the opportunity to grab the little book out of Ranma's hands.

"So long, sucker!!!! I'll invite you to the wedding!" And with that he kicked Ranma through the roof and ran to Akane's door. When she answered his wavery knock, she smiled.

"Oh, it's just you, Ryoga! Come in. I feel like talking to someone mature and sensitive." She said those last words loud and clear so they could be heard by anyone, even someone sitting on the roof.


	4. Chapter 4

OK ANYONE WHO IS READING THIS, MORE REVIEWS PLEASE!!! But thanks for the 1000+ hits on my first story!

Dinner was awkward that night. Ranma was black and blue, Akane was steaming mad, and Ryoga had vanished. The rest of the family didn't even have to ask.

"Akane had another spasm!"

"Ranma and Ryoga got in a fight and Ranma punched Ryoga all the way to Kanagawa!"

Akane and Ranma kissed and Ryoga beat up Ranma!"

Rumors circled the table like a game of telephone. The game abruptly stopped when it reached Akane.

"Alright people! Here's what happened, just to set the record straight! Ranma pissed me off, so I punched him through the roof. Then Ryoga came to talk to me, and, remember my pet pig P-Chan? That was Ryoga. Yeah, I know, little awkward. So Ryoga's sobbing somewhere, Ranma's stupid, and I'm one angry bunny-human!"

The family sat open mouthed.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Akane ran from the table and into her room.

They all turned to stare at Ranma.

"Whaaaat?" Ranma slurred his words, his mouth full with food. "I din't do anyshing! She shust god pished off all of a shudden! She doesh dat, ya know?!"

"I bet $10 that she doesn't get over it this time? Any betters?" Nabiki thrust ten dollars in the air.

"I bet you $15 that she does!!!!" Genma held up all his money.

"Will you stop trying to make money off everything, Nabiki? You too Mr. Genma. You should know better." Kasumi actually looked a little angry. She stood up and started to clear plates.

Suddenly they heard a splash from Akane's room. They all ran to her door and Ranma hurled it open. And there, on the floor was a little bunny, looking about as pissed as a bunny can look. An overturned vase was on the bed next to her, and black roses covered her back and circled around her.

"Hahahahahahaheheheheheeeeheeeeheeeehahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa," The evil laughing went on," Hahahahahahaheheheheheeeeheeeeheeeehahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa," and on," Hahahahahahaheheheheheeeeheeeeheeeehahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa," and on," Hahahahahahaheheheheheeeeheeeeheeeehahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…"

"ALRIGHT, ENOUGH ALREADY!" Ranma finally shouted, "Kodachi, we know it's you!"

Sure enough, Kodachi stepped out into the lighted room from up in the rafters. She had a red velvet leotard on, quite a change from her usual black, and the roses in her hair were, not black, but red.

"Oh, hey Ranma, I forgot you lived here. You like my outfit? I was going to a regional meet, when I stopped in to say hello." She smirked.

"Well that was a great hello!" Akane, restored to her normal appearance, scowled.

"Sorry, not all of us are as, **coughcough**, graceful as you." And that was all it took. Akane, being such a "graceful" girl, launched herself at Kodachi, who, in turn, showered her with the black roses hidden in her pockets.

"I shall be back soon!" Kodachi stated, before tipping a bucket of freezing water on Akane, and escaping out of the window.

Akane/bunny shivered. Ranma tried to pick her up, but she scampered away, off to the bathroom to get some hot water. So the family dispersed, each member engulfed in their own business, Nabiki with her money counting, Kasumi with her cooking, even Ryoga was gone, although probably in some corner, crying. And, late into the night, after most of the family had gone to sleep, two people were still awake, thinking about all the day's happenings, and wondering what, exactly would happen next.


	5. Chapter 5

"Nabiki!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

It was a cloudy Saturday morning, and Nabiki and Akane were in the dojo, Nabiki carrying tubs of hot and cold water, and Akane tied to a pole.

"Nabiki, what the hell did you do!? I go to sleep one second, and the next I wake up tied to a pole!! Get me out of here!"

"Shush Akane, you'll wake everyone up."

"I will not shush until you tell me why I'm tied to a pole in the first place."

"Well…" Nabiki smiled up at Akane, a smile that was unsettlingly sweet, and quite uncommon for Nabiki. " I just wanted to help you. I noticed that you and Ranma were having some difficulties…Oh, screw this. I bet Ranma's dad that I could get you and Ranma to like each other. And I intend to win that bet, so I'm not letting you go until my teaching session is over."

"ARGHH." Akane muttered under her breath, aware that there was nothing she could do, as the ropes that bound her were heavy and hard to break.

"Ok, Akane. First lesson: how to be gentle. And for that, I'll bring in Kasumi, since I am not the most gentle person."

Nabiki knocked on the door and Kasumi gracefully tiptoed in, looking as gentle and lovely as ever, as well as very tired, as she had just woken up.

"So Kasumi, you're gonna teach Akane how to be gentle and graceful. If she ever gets out of hand, just hit her with some cold water, ok?"

Kasumi turned to Akane, and yawned. "Did she bet with someone that she could make you and Ranma a couple?"

"Yup. Now how about untying me, here, please. I'm starting to get rope burn." Akane closed her eyes. "Plus, I want to get some sleep. It's not easy being a bunny."

Kasumi untied the heavy cords with her beautiful, slender hands. _No wonder all the guys fell for her when she was younger,_ Akane mused. She and Kasumi walked into the hall, not even hearing Nabiki's frustrated shouting. Kasumi walked Akane to her door, and turned to go. But then she turned back, and whispered,

"Do you want some advice? Because I'm always here if you need it." All Akane had to do was smile half-heartedly, and Kasumi gave her a quick hug and told her to meet her in the Dojo, at lunch hour, when everyone was gone. And Akane nodded.

When she was alone in her room, Akane plopped on her bed and sighed, a low, soft, sad noise. _Maybe I can learn a thing or two from the rabbit…maybe I can learn to be less of a boyish girl…I don't know…_

But then Akane knew. There were things she could learn from Kasumi, or the rabbit, or even Nabiki. But, ultimately, she would have to be herself. Maybe then Ranma would like her. Just maybe.


End file.
